Playing-game implement



Feb. 2 1926.

L. L. RICHARD ET AL PLAYING GAME IMPLEMENT Filed Nov. 11. 1922 o I Jbvezzon Patented Feb. 2, i926. I l

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEROY L. RICHARD, OF VISALIA, AND ROBERT E. RICHARD, 0]? GOALINGA, CALIFORNIA.

PLAYING-GAME IMPLEMENT.

Application filed November 11, 1922. Serial No. 600,353.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that we, LEROY L. RICHARD and ROBERT E. RICHARD, citizens of the United Stat-es, residing, the said LEROY L. RICHARD at Vi'salia, in the county of Tularc and State of California, and the said Ron- En'r E. Itrormnn at Coalinga, county of Fresno, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Playing-Game Implements, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to implements to assist in "playing games. It is especially adapted for games the paraphernalia or equipment of which comprises a multiplicity of playing pieces, initially assembled in a crowd from which they are withdrawn by the several participants for manipulation, inspection and disposition in the progress of the game.

Games of this nature are various, a familiar one being dominoes, the playing pieces of which are distinctive in form adapting them for peculiar manipulation.

Relatively recently agame of Chinese origin has become popular, and known commonly in this country as Mah-jongg. In this game the playing pieces, 136 in numher are domino like in form, and under the rules of the game are subject to stacking in rows to form walls, from-which allotments are taken for inspection by the players, and subsequent disposition according to the rules.

Our invention is particularly intended for assisting in playing this game in so far as concerns the convenient and accurate manipulation of the playing pieces, the convenient disposition of the counters and the ready determination of such essentials as the rules of the game and the regional title or winds of the players.

Vith these objects in view, our invention consists in the novel playing-game implement which we shall now fully describe by refer ence to the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of our playing-game implement. A

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same showing the playing-pieces stacked up in a row against the outer face of the rear wall.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, showing the playing pieces of the hand supported in the frontrack and the remaining pieces of the row still against the back wall.

The implement is an elongated box-like structure adapted to be easily moved upon the surface of the playing table. It has a rear wall 1 and a front wall longitudinally distinguishable by a shoulder 2, into an upper portion 3 and a lower portion 4:- It has alsoends 5, and partitions 6 forming several pockets 7 between the walls. The ends 5 preferably project beyond the rear wall to form convenient stops. The shoulder 2 and the upper portion 3 of the front wall form a rack to hold and present the playing pieces in a slightly tilted position insuring a stable rest for them and permitting easy inspection. The upper face of the rear wall 1 is provided with a scale 8, the graduations of which are equidistant, the intervening spaces being each of a length equal to the width of the playing pieces of the game, and numbered consecutively reading from right to left, from 1 to 17. The outer face of the wall 1' is preferably Verticaland of a height equal to the combined thickness of two of the playing pieces.

Upon the outer wall, on either portion thereof, preferably on the face of the lower portion 4 is a slide 9 adapted by its adjustment to indicate the wind of the player using the device, North, South, East or West, each player of course being supplied with one of the implements. Similarly upon the lower portion 4 of the front wall may be inscribed or placed condensed rules for scoring and playing, such being indicated at 10. The use of our imiplement in connection with the playing of the game of Malrjongg is as follows:-

The playing pieces 136 in number having been shuffled face down upon the surface of the table are ready for the opening. Each player has one of the implements in front of him, and each draws 34 pieces. Each player stacks his pieces, indicated by 11, against the outer face of the back wall 1, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, forming a row two pieces deep and 17 pieces long, Fig. 2. As this wall face, between the projecting stops of the ends 5 has a length equal to the combined widths of 17 pieces, the player knows without counting them that he has his allotment of 34 if he fills the length of the face two pieces deep. Also by reading the scale 8 on the top of the rear wall 1, he

" ment to an angle.

is informed readily of the required number of pieces to supply any lack, if there be one.

The four players having thus stacked their pieces, push the implements forward, thus moving the stacks or rows uniformly and accurately into relative position to form the wall. The next operation is breaking or opening the wall. The point at which the wall is to be broken is determined by casting dice. This point is found by counting off the number indicated, according to the rules, starting from the right hand end of the wall, and counting toward the left. The scale 8 on the top face of the rear wall 1, indicates this point at once, without counting. This also avoids confusion, particularly in the case of beginners, as to the di' rection in which to count.

Beginning at this point so determined each player draws his hand of playing pieces from the wall, and for convenience that part of the wall which is being drawn may be swung inwardly out of line, by sliding the imple- The playing pieces drawn to form the hand are now placed by the player, face outward, against the upper portion 3 of the front wall and rest on the shoulder 2, as seen in Fig. 3; and in this position they are well supported, and are conveniently visible to the player but not to his opponents. From this position the pieces may be easily picked up for playing.

The pockets 7, as seen in Fig. 2 are convenient for holding the scoring counters 12.

A sufficient number of pockets-are provided, to keep counters of different denominations separate and the proper amount may be readily selected and counted out.

By properly setting the slide 9, the player may have convenient reminder of his wind.

In our device, we thus have a guide for building the wall; a measure of its length; a means for moving 1t; a scale for indicating the point at which the wall is broken;

1. A playing-game implement comprisinga structure adapted for bodily movement upon a table, said structure having a rear wall against the outer face of which playing pieces may be arranged in a row and the row advanced by the movement of the structure, the upper face of said wall having a scale indicative of the number of playing pieces comprising the row, said structure having also a front wall the outer face of which is formed as a rack to support and conveniently expose playing pieces drawn from the row, and having also a pocket between the two walls adapted for the reception of game counters, and said outer wall having an indicator denoting a personal relation with the player using the implement.

2. A rack for game pieces such as dominoes, tiles or the like, comprising an elongated member having an inclined back support, a bottom support at right angles to said back support, and a horizontal counterretaining groove to the rear of said back support, in the upper face of said member.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

LEROY L. RICHARD. ROBERT E. RICHARD. 

